Psychology
Biomedical Procedures
Biomedical procedures refer to medical interventions or treatments that directly target the biological aspects of a person's health. In the context of psychology, these procedures may include neuroimaging techniques, genetic testing, or pharmacological interventions aimed at understanding and treating mental health disorders. These procedures provide valuable insights into the physiological underpinnings of psychological phenomena and can inform personalized treatment approaches.
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3 Key excerpts on "Biomedical Procedures"
eBook - ePubTheories of Counselling and Psychotherapy
An Introduction to the Different Approaches
- Stephen Joseph(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- Bloomsbury Academic(Publisher)
Chapter 2Biomedical and Medical Approaches
Introduction
Anyone who has ever had a few alcoholic drinks will recognize that human behaviour can be profoundly affected by biochemistry. As counsellors and psychotherapists we must be aware of the possibility that some of the psychological difficulties people experience are actually caused by abnormal workings of the brain and are best treated by practitioners who can address the problem biomedically. The biomedical approach has had a profound influence on how mental health professionals think about the nature of psychological problems. In this chapter I will introduce the biomedical understanding of how psychological problems develop and their treatment.Within the biomedical model it is recognized that a person’s behaviour and experience may change if there are physical or chemical changes in the brain and nervous system. For example, we know that a severe injury to the brain can have a profound effect on behaviour. There may be problems in concentration and memory, and the personality of someone who sustains a severe head injury can change dramatically. For example, someone who was once outgoing and sociable can become shy and solitary. We also know the effects on behaviour that result from taking alcohol. People are more likely to act aggressively, to lose their inhibitions, to slur their speech, and so on. So, it is not unreasonable to suggest that psychological problems might reflect disturbances in the physical make-up or the chemistry of the brain. The aim of the biomedical model is to understand the relationship between psychological difficulties and physiological processes. So, for example, if it can be shown that a certain way of behaving is related to a certain aspect of brain chemistry, then it might be possible to help that person change or control their behaviour through some form of chemical intervention. This way of looking at human problems is the dominant one among psychiatrists who are medically qualified and allowed to prescribe drugs.
eBook - ePubFoundations of Professional Psychology
The End of Theoretical Orientations and the Emergence of the Biopsychosocial Approach
- Timothy P. Melchert(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Elsevier(Publisher)
Part III. Conceptualizing Psychological Treatment from a Biopsychosocial PerspectivePsychological intervention is undertaken to meet a wide variety of purposes. Some purposes are more focused and specialized, as in sports psychology, executive coaching, or various forensic contexts. Others are more comprehensive and general, as in many outpatient clinics. A biopsychosocial approach to professional psychology has distinct implications for conceptualizing the intervention process across all types of psychological practice. The chapters in this part of the book describe the basic implications of taking this approach across the four general phases of the treatment process, from assessment through treatment planning, treatment, and outcomes assessment. Many of these issues apply in nonclinical contexts as well, but the discussion here focuses on the behavioral health care treatment process.There are no clear demarcations between the four phases of the treatment process reviewed in this part of the book. While the process begins with assessment, assessment continues throughout treatment—indeed, outcomes assessment is just the last phase of the ongoing assessment that occurs throughout treatment. Treatment also occurs throughout, from the first patient contact and the initial development of a therapeutic relationship through termination and the discussion of the outcomes of treatment. Nonetheless, it is necessary to divide the treatment process into its main phases because there are distinct shifts in purposes and activities as treatment proceeds.It is important to note that the biopsychosocial approach described in this part of the book is consistent with the evidence-based practice approach that has been widely endorsed within health care in recent years (Institute of Medicine, 2001
eBook - ePub- G Neil Martin(Author)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
2 Approaches to Studying Biological Psychology What You Will Find in This Chapter ■ a description of the major techniques and approaches in biological psychology, including neuroimaging techniques, psychophysiological techniques, lesioning and histology ■ illustrations of the usefulness of these techniques to our understanding of the biological basis of behaviour What You Should Be Able to Do after Reading the Chapter ■ describe each of the main techniques and methods in biological psychology ■ be aware of how each technique helps us to understand different aspects of the biological basis of behaviour, and be aware of the advantages and limitations of each 2.1 The Tools of Biological Psychology One of the greatest advances in neuroscience and biological psychology in the past 20 years has been the development of neuroimaging: an umbrella name that describes fairly expensive and sophisticated equipment that allows scientists to view the activity and structure of living tissue. It may seem surprising to learn that the first brain imaging study was only published in 1988 (Petersen et al., 1988). What was novel at the tail end of the 1980s is now relatively widely used in hospitals and research centres. There are even journals (such as Neuroimage) dedicated to publishing research using these techniques exclusively and variants of these techniques are being developed constantly. Other techniques used in biological psychology to investigate the interaction between the environment and the body are not quite as sophisticated as the neuroimaging techniques and were developed either in the nineteenth century or at the turn of the twentieth. Some of these measure responses (usually in the form of electrical activity) from parts of the body (other than the brain), such as the skin, the heart, the muscles and the immune system, as an organism undergoes a task or is provoked to behave in a particular way
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